Meeting Yap
Today I spent the morning relaxing in my hotel waiting to meet up with Yap. Yap is the regional distributor for ARRB Systems, and since I was on a trip to learn about international business, I decided to take my dad’s suggestion and arrange a meeting with him to learn more about the state of play of business in Malaysia. Yap picked me up from my hotel just before 12 PM and we began chatting. Right from the start of our conversation, I could tell he was really switched on and knowledgeable on the topics I was hoping to chat with him about. Yap took me to an area outside the main city centre with many restaurants that seemed much cleaner than the city centre, with nice gardens around the restaurants. We went to a Dim Sum restaurant allowing the staff to suggest the dishes for us. I had a good conversation with Yap finding out his background and what has driven him to where he is today. I also enjoyed discussions about the unique cultural challenges of doing business in Malaysia and had a chance to mention some of my own future aspirations. I noticed on the way back to the hotel that Yap had placed two ARRB Systems drink bottles in the centre console of his car.
Visiting the Museum
After lunch with Yap, I decided to visit the national Museum of Malaysia to learn more about the Malaysian people. The museum was surprisingly good with a clear historical flow showing a distinct timeline of events leading Malaysia to where it is today. The museum was not very big, and I could read every sign in the museum in around 2 hours, but I left feeling I had gained a better understanding of the chain of events that have led this part of the world to where it is today. In my experience, museums usually are not so well organized.
Final night in Kuala Lumpur
After the museum I headed back to my hotel for a quick swim in the pool before heading out to a night market, Jalan Alor for a final dinner in Kuala Lumpur. This night market was lively and had lots of different food options. I had some dumplings, bao buns, and a kebab for dinner. This was my last night in Kuala Lumpur and tomorrow morning I will head to the airport to return home to Melbourne.
